1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a footrest used in a vehicle seat such as an automotive seat, and in particular to a footrest structure provided in a front seat, wherein a ventilation opening is arranged such as to permit a hot or cold air to be flowed therethrough towards an occupant on a rear seat behind the front seat.
2. Description of Prior Art
As typically seen in a train or the like, a foot rest is equipped on the rear side of seat in order to receive thereon the foot of an occupant on a rear seat. Most of ordinary footrests are of such a structure that the body thereof bridges over the seat and floor in an inclined way, with its free end resting on the floor.
However, this sort of footrest structure has been defective, as applied to a front seat structure with a heat or cool air blower provided under the seat, in that the air sent from the lower is blocked by the footrest body and can not be supplied to the rear-seat occupant.
On the other hand, there is known a footrest structure wherein the footrest may be positioned such as to extend horizontally from the seat cushion without contact with the floor, thus providing a clearance between the seat and footrest, as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Pub. No. 56-70337. This permits a hot or cool air to be flowed through the footrest, to some extent, in a direction to a rear seat, but it does not supply a full stream of the air towards an occupant sitting on the rear seat because of the mass of footrest. Moreover, according to that prior art, the footrest is connected pivotally via a movable link to a stationary link, such that the footrest is rotatable with the movable link vertically about the free end of the stationary link. Consequently, the footrest, when not in use, is placed in an upright position, extending upwardly along the rear-side wall of seat back, whereas when in use, the footrest is placed in a horizontal position, extending backwardly toward the rear seat. But, it has been found as another defective aspect that when the footrest is in the non-use upright position, the back surface of seat back is impaired its aesthetic appearance by the elevated, standing state of the footrest.